Pivoting and hoisting arrangement for the distributing assembly of a tower crane



PINGON 2,858,945

. P. J. PIVOTING AND HOISTING ARRANGEMENT FOR THE DISTRIBUTING ASSEMBLYOF A TOWER CRANE Filed Sept. 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 4, 1958Fl'g. I

P. J. PINGON Nov. 4, 1958 2,858,945 ING ARRANGEMENT FOR THE 4 SEMBLY OFA TOWER CRANE PIVOTING AND HOIST Filed Sept '22 DISTRIBUTING AS 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 2 n l I u I u w United States Patent PKVOTING AND HOISTINGARRANGEMENT FOR THE DISTRIBUTING ASSEMBLY OF A TOWER CRANE Pierre JosephPingon, Annecy, France, assignor to Societe M. Tichauer, S. a. r. 1.,Lyon, France Application September 22, 1954, Serial No. 457,756 Claimspriority, application France September 22, 1953 5 Claims. (Cl. 212-64)The present invention relates to pivoting and hoisting arrangements forthe distributing assembly of a tower crane. l

The advantages are known which are presented, on building sites, by theuse of lifting apparatus of the nature of tower cranes, which areconstituted essentially by a rotating distributing assembly mounted on avertical tower or mast bearing upon a frame, preferably movable uponrails, for example. The distributing assembly, composed of a boom and acounter-balancing counter-boom, can rotate alone about the mast, or witha part thereof or even with the said mast, and the support for thisrotational movement is most often constituted by a conical pivot,mounted at the head on a thrust-bearing and at its base upon rollerswhich roll upon an appropriate circular path.

Numerous improvements have already been made both in the manner ofrealization of the tower itself, for example by means of standardelements assembled by superposition, and in that of the boom andcounter-boom assembly, which may preferably comprise the operatingcabin, and more especially in the realization of the members ensuringthe vertical movement of this assembly along the tower, permitting ofraising it, after mounting on the ground, to the optimum workingposition, which varies in the course of the construction.

Now the use of a fixed tower facilitates working at great heights, byeliminating the play which causes oscillation, and due to thepossibility of support upon the actual edifice being constructed, andthis fixed tower is preferably constituted by a framework of squaresection.

The present invention has for its object to efiect, in a simple maner,the pivoting of the rotating assembly, and its movement along the towerof a lifting assembly, obviating the pivot which is a unique andexpensive element, and assuring, under the best conditions, thetransmission of the coupling of the hoisting engine to the tower itself.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pivoting andhoisting arrangement for the distributing assembly of a tower crane, inwhich the boom and counter-boom, which are made fast with one another bytwo common uprights, assembled at top and bottom with tie-rods of thelatter, made fast with two coaxial circular members spaced by anappropriate distance, constitute an assembly movable along the tower, bymeans of the actual hoisting cable, one end of which is fixed to theupper circular member, which cable passes over two pulleys mounted atthe ends of a rotating arm, provided in the center with a pivot mountedon a thrustbearing, placed against the upper face of the ultimateelement of the tower, and the other end of which is wound or unwound onthe main hoisting winch, preferably mounted on the boom, this sameassembly being capable of rotating about the tower by support of the twocircular elements upon rollers which are to be mounted, preferably inremovable fashion, upon a plurality of frames disposed along the tower,at intervals 2,858,945 Patented Nov. 4, 1958 corresponding to thespacing of the two circular elements.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide aclamping element disposed on the boom which ensures the fixing of thecable, in releasable fashion, which cable then effects the raising orlowering of the load by its movement between this fixed point thusconstituted and the winch.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in thefollowing detailed description, the present invention will be clearlyunderstood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, in elevation, of a tower crane providedwith the device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a roller supporting frame;

Fig. 3 shows at an enlarged scale the uppermost element of the mast withthe lifting and turning device for the boom and counter-boom;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section along the lines 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation at enlarged scale of a joint of two elements ofthe mast.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, given by wayof example, a tower crane equipped with the device, comprises a fixedmast of constant square section, constituted by a plurality of standardelements of a height H. Each of these elements comprises, at any desiredlevel, for example at their end, a braced frame C, provided at eachangle with two pierced stay-plates or any other arrangement permittingof fixing a roller or a swing arm P carrying two rollers.

Upon the mast there are mounted in sliding fashion two collars V ofinternal diameter greater than the circle enclosing the square section aof the mast, so that they may serve as surfaces for rolling upon therollers carried by the frames. These two collars are placed at adistance from one another corresponding to the constant spacing H of theframes. They are joined by two uprights M at the ends of which there areattached the base and end of tie-rods of the boom and counter-boom.

An arm B, mounted at its middle on a pivot B, supported by athrust-bearing 13 against the upper face of the ultimate element, and ofsuitable length, slightly greater than the diameter of the collars,supports a pulley at each of its two ends.

The hoisting cable, commencing from the main hoisting winch T mounted onthe base of the boom F, passes over a pulley p at the end of the latter,then into the trolley l and at the base of the boom successively into aremovable cable-clamp S and a return pulley p, then rising to the top ofthe mast in order to pass over the pulleys of the arm B and to besecured to the counterboom at r.

In order to bring the assembly of the boom F and of the counter-boom CF,disposed at the bottom of the mast, to the optimum working height, thehook u is brought against the trolley l, the removable cable clamp Sbeing released. By winding up, the winch T raises the distributorassembly; by unwinding, as for lowering, it causes. it to descend againalong the mast.

At the desired Working height, the assembly being brought to theposition where the two collars are in line with the rollers of twoframes provided with swing arms P which carry the rollers, thecable-clamp S is locked, so that a fixed end of the cable part may beused for manipulating the load.

It will be understood that the force exerted by the hoistingengine isthus taken up by the two collars rotating on the rollers of theswing-arms P, which transmit the forces to the crane through theintermediary of the frames C.

The vertical forces, the actual weight of the rotating assembly inaddition to the load, are transmitted to the top structure upon whichthe arm B rotates.

Modifications of detail can be. made in the forms, dimensions. and.arrangements of the form. of embodiment described and represented,without departing from the scope of the invention.

While I- have disclosed, one embodimentof the present invention, it is.to be understood that. this embodiment is given by example only and notin a limiting sense, the scope of the present invention being determinedby the objects and the claims.

I claim:

1. A tower crane comprising a mast, a pivot member mounted on top ofsaid mast, an arm, carrying a first pulley at each. end,. rotatablymounted on said pivot member, an assembly comprising an upper and alower co1lar,.each of said collarshaving. an inner cylindrical face andmeans for spacing apart said collars ata predetermined distance, saidassembly being movable vertically along said mast, aboom. and. acounter-boom disposed opposite said boom. and rigidly secured to saidassembly,,said boom and counter-boom moving vertically together withsaid assembly, a second pulley.

' mounted at the inner end of said boom. anda third pulley mounted onthe outer end of said boom, a plurality of horizontally disposed bracedframes carrying. rollers at their periphery for engagement with saidinner face of said collars, each pair of adjacent. braced frames being.

spaced apart a distance equal with the distance of said collars, acarriage traversable. long; said boom and carryinga hook, and a mainhoisting winch mounted on said boom, said main hoisting winch carrying.a cable, the free end of said cable being securedto the upper of saidcollars and passing from the latter over the said first pulleys of saidarm, over said second pulley, said carriage and said third pulley, tosaid winch, so that upon rotating said winch in one direction saidassembly together with said boom and counter-boom will be lifted alongsaid mast and upon rotating said'winch in the other direction will belowered. along said mast.

2. The tower crane, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a clampingmember mounted on said boom and receiving said cable between said secondpulley and said carriage for releasably securing said cable and-forrendering inoperative the part of said cable extending between saidclamping'member and the upper of said collars.

3. The tower crane, as set forth in claim 1, in which said braced framesare of a cross section equal with that of said mast ancl said bracedframes include stay plates adapted to receive said rollers.

4. The tower crane, as set forth in claim 1, in which said assemblyincludes two substantially; vertically disposed uprights and said boomand counter-boom are secured to said two uprights.

5. The tower crane, as set forth in claim 1, which includes fourhorizontally. disposed swing bars, each carrying two of said rollerssecured to said braced frames, in order to engage said, collars.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS870,922 Allen Nov. 12, 1907 921,198 Busing May 11, 1909 1,011,739Campistrou Dec. 12, 19.11 1,352,575 Bingaman Sept. 14, 1920 2,413,701Faure et al. Jan. 7, 1947

